What Amy Learned
by Mint Pearl Voice
Summary: Amy and the Doctor have a heart-to-hearts conversation. Rated T for mentions of sexual assault.


"-and we've redecorated the bedroom in the most beautiful color scheme, you absolutely have to see it-" Sweeping into the bedroom, Amy glanced at the Doctor, who-

Wasn't right behind her. Instead, he leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, looking rather awkward and out of place.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Amy," said the Doctor, "I'd prefer not to be alone in bedrooms with you right now."

She wrinkled her nose. Why did he seem so uncomfortable? "Why not? It's not like I'll try to kill you or anything- although knowing you, you might actually like that."

He tilted his head a bit, thinking. Then: "All right. Let's imagine that you're working with a photographer- for argument's sake, a male photographer."

"We wouldn't be alone, though," Amy interjected. "Whenever I'm on a shoot, there's makeup artists and stylists and loads of people who don't have any reason to be hanging about and watching me, but do so anyway."

"It's a hypothetical situation."

She nodded and sat down on a nearby sofa.

"So let's say you're alone with this male photographer, and all of a sudden, he says that he wants to kiss you."

Amy wanted to see if she could lighten up the conversation. "Is he fit?"

"Let's say that's not relevant- hypothetically, you're not in any sort of mood for snogging. So you tell him, no thank you, please stop kissing me, only he keeps trying to kiss you- and then once you stop him, he keeps talking about how much he'd like to kiss you, and how he'd be fine with a one-night stand, really." The Doctor's gaze seemed melancholy. "What would you call that?"

"Sexual assault, obviously," Amy said promptly.

He nodded. "Good thinking, Pond. Now let's change the situation a bit and take you out of it. We'll replace the photographer with a young woman who might be temporarily muddled as a result of a stressful experience, and replace the model with a man who's much, much older than he looks. Now what would we call it?"

"Sexual assault, but-" Amy glanced towards the bed, remembering a conversation that had taken place in a different bedroom.

_"…in one very simple word even you can understand-"_

_"But you're getting married in the morning!"_

"…oh. Doctor, are you saying that I… sexually assaulted you?" She could hardly bear to look at him.

"Well… sort of. Well, actually…" He fidgeted. "…yes. I know you may not have thought of it that way, but… yes. Very much so."

"But I'm not…" She couldn't finish the sentence. The whole conversation just seemed so weird. Everyone in Leadworth knew that sexual-assaulty types were big men with loads of tattoos who hid in bushes, which was why young women in short skirts were supposed to walk home in pairs, especially if they'd been drinking. "I'm not that sort of person, Doctor."

"Not relevant, Pond. There isn't a sort of person who sexually assaults someone, just like there isn't a sort of alien who decides to knock off a few humans."

Her voice was low and husky with potential tears. "Are you saying I'm a bad person, Doctor?"

"No, of course not. I'm not saying that the circumstances weren't extraordinary, or that what you did was all right, because it was very not all right, but… Basically, you're a nice person who did something that made someone else very uncomfortable. Nice people can still do bad things, Amelia."

A few tears trickled down Amy's cheeks. Then: "What can I do to make it better?"

"Well, apologizing would be a decent start. After that… I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it."

After a long pause, Amy spoke. "I'm really sorry that I tried to kiss you- well, that's not true, but I am sorry that I kept trying even after you told me that you didn't want to. I made you feel really uncomfortable. I didn't know what I was doing was wrong, though… no, I knew in the back of my mind somewhere, I just really wasn't interested in caring. But now I care, and I'm sorry."

The Doctor sat down next to her. "Thank you, Amelia. That's a very good-starty apology, and you are a very insightful young woman." He handed her a handkerchief, and she sniffled into it for a few minutes. Finally:

"Can I give you a hug?"

"Of course, Pond."

Amy rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder; he stroked her hair.


End file.
